For the best protection against unintended pregnancy and STDs, combine condoms with IUDs or contraceptive implants.

If IUDs and implants prevented sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), they would pretty much be perfect — but, alas, like most forms of birth control, they don’t protect you from viruses, bacteria, and other bugs that can be passed from person to person through sex. To reduce their risk for STD exposure, sexually active people must employ other strategies, including (1) being in a mutually monogamous relationship with a person who does not have STDs; (2) being vaccinated before becoming sexually active to receive protection from hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus (HPV), two sexually transmitted viruses; and, last but definitely not least, (3) condoms, condoms, condoms!

A study published this month looked at college students using IUDs and implants and found that most of them didn’t use condoms the last time they had vaginal sex — 57 percent of women who were not using IUDs or implants used a condom, compared to only 24 percent of women who were using IUDs or implants. That’s not too surprising if pregnancy prevention were the only concern, but condoms are an important addition for anyone seeking to reduce their STD risk. Continue reading →

Bring out the balloons, champagne flutes, and noisemakers. Look what the cat is dragging in come 2017: MALE BIRTH CONTROL NOT IN THE FORM OF A CONDOM! (The Daily Beast)

Are men treated differently than women when buying emergency contraception? (New York Daily News)

Overriding Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto, Republican lawmakers in Missouri have forced a 72-hour waiting period for abortions into law. They now join South Dakota and Utah as having the longest waiting periods in the United States. Additionally, there are no exceptions for victims of incest or rape. (USA Today)

Crowdfunding platform, GoFundMe, has banned all fundraisers and content related to abortion. What other safe, legal medical procedures have they banned fundraisers for, you ask? None that we know of. (Salon)

Is there any facet of the anti-choice movement that isn’t hypocritical? The corporations opposing the birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act mostly do not offer any parental leave to help you out with the baby they want you to have no choice but to conceive. (RH Reality Check)

Republicans have seemingly done an about-face on birth control, and have been talking an awful lot lately about the Pill being made available over the counter. Please don’t be fooled. They want the entire cost burden to be on the individual woman rather than covered by insurance. I’m trying to think of any other preventive medications they feel this way about off the top of my head, but for some reason I’m drawing a big ol’ blank! (Time)

Bustle has an interesting piece on the most restrictive abortion laws in America and, as you may have guessed, it’s really quite painstaking to get an abortion anywhere in this country. (Bustle)

Vaginas are magic and powerful vessels and now their contents can make medicine! (Nature)